GALLAGHER'S WORD

With college football beginning tonight, it also ushers in the Post-BCS era as FBS football finally has a playoff system. From 1998-2014, we had the Bowl Championship Series. From 2006-2010, FOX Sports carried 4 of the 5 BCS Games (ABC had the Rose Bowl). With their coverage, it gave us this commercial promoting their BCS coverage that would begin in January 2007. Being FOX, you're always in for an interesting promo with a "Fox Attitude." This one is called "Ladders." Let's break down this promo before you watch it:

We begin on a practice field with the Texas Longhorns. All of a sudden, the ground starts shaking, and a ladder emerges from the ground and shoots for the sky.

After some confusion, the Longhorn players strap on the helmets and start climbing this mysterious ladder.

We then cut to the Texas players ascending above the clouds, and we see Florida State players climbing a ladder. We also see several other ladders and football players climbing them. Did anyone bring oxygen?

This promo has its fair share of action and violence.

In one shot, its appears that a Florida State player is attempting to snap the neck of a Florida player, as he screams in pain.

Our next shot shows Notre Dame players climbing a ladder. Because it's not a BCS promo without Notre Dame football. They had their own seat at the BCS table, so they have their own ladder, too.

We then see a USC player on another ladder eying the Irish players. Using a random rope hanging from the heavens, the Trojan swings over to the Notre Dame ladder. An Irish player see him and kicks at his shoulder pads. No wonder Notre Dame never won a BCS bowl game.

Then there's Michigan and Ohio State. Yeah, it gets sketchy.

A Buckeye throws the Wolverine off the ladder as he falls to his certain death.

As he is falling, he knocks a fellow teammate off the ladder.

Luckily, our ropes from the heavens tangled up the Michigan guy who was thrown off the ladder by the Ohio State player as he grabs his teammates arm before he falls to his death. They truly don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan in Columbus.

Next. Hey, do you hate the Miami Hurricanes? Well, FOX decided to display that bad boy "U" persona in this commercial. A guy in a Canes uniform breaks the ladder in half with his forearm, and sends a Penn State, Alabama and UCLA player plummeting to their deaths. But good news, nobody dies. The falling ladder hits another ladder and a rope from another ladder catches them. It leaves our three friends hanging on for their lives. I wonder if the Michigan guys are dead?

As we reach the end of the commercial, the Oklahoma Sooner guys seem to be having an easy time climbing their ladder. This was the year Boise State beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

And then we see what they're climbing toward: The Coaches Trophy. It's so shiny.